Testing soil nitrogen levels has been a challenge for farmers when deciding on fertilizer applications. With analysis mostly conducted in labs, results often take time to be delivered to growers, making these tests less appealing for farmers under the current model.
Stenon, a German startup supported by David Friedberg, the founder of Climate Corp and a leading investor in regenerative agriculture, is offering real-time soil analysis aiming to address this gap in Brazil. Known as FarmLab, Stenon’s technology uses sensors to measure parameters such as the nitrogen content in soil.
In addition to boosting yields and lowering costs, this technology also provides environmental benefits by helping to prevent unnecessary nitrogen applications, which account for roughly 6% of greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil’s agribusiness.
After a pilot project last season in Parana, Stenon is starting to offer soil analysis to farmers in Mato Grosso, Brazil’s largest grain producer, this season, according to Stenon CEO and founder Niels Grabbert. The service will be offered to customers from Lavoro, Brazil’s largest crop inputs retailer.
The firm also has plans to debut in Argentina in the short-term and launch new services, such as measuring other nutrients in soil besides nitrogen, Grabbert said.
